Walk This Way

The issue of pedestrian safety is an important one. Since 2001, an average of more than 15,500 children ages 14 and under were non-fatally injured in pedestrian incidents each year. Over a ten-year period in Polk County, Iowa, there were 531 child pedestrian injuries, eight of them resulted in death. These numbers are too high!

That is why Safe Kids Greater Des Moines participates in SAFE KIDS Walk This Way. This is an injury prevention program targeting pedestrian safety. The program consists of interactive educational sessions for all elementary grade levels, and concludes with a walk around the school's neighborhood to identify existing pedestrian hazards.

Walk This Way 2015

Nearly 500 elementary students at Centennial Elementary in Altoona participated in 2015. The education focused on how students can make themselves visible with retro-reflective material, brightly colored clothing, and a flashlight.  They also learned where and how to cross the street safely. On International Walk to School Day, 160 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders went on pre-mapped walks around their school neighborhood. They used the pedestrian-safety skills they learned during the education portion, and determined how safe or unsafe their school neighborhood is when it comes to pedestrian safety.